Martin fights through to eighth in fraught Argentine GP

MOTO3

Posted on: 03 April, 2016

Santiago del Estero Province, 03 April 2016: Aspar Mahindra rider Jorge Martin opened his World Championship account today in Argentina, with a brilliant ride through from 19th on the grid to a strong eighth place - making the most of his wet-weather skills and the sweet handling of his MGP3O racer on a treacherous drying circuit.

While team-mate Pecco Bagnaia - third in the opening round in Qatar - struggled with the conditions in round two at the Termas de Rio Hondo circuit, and finished out of the points, Martin made a blazing start from the seventh row, and by lap two of 21 of the 4.806-km circuit he crossed the line in sixth place.

The white-liveried Mahindra - all new this year from the only Indian constructor in the World Championship - was in the thick of a jostling pack chasing runaway winner Khairul Idham Pawi (Honda), Malaysia’s first GP winner.

Martin was challenging for the lead of a typically close seven-strong battle fighting for an eventual third. Riders were changing places throughout as they searched for grip on the fast and sinuous circuit. All were using no-tread slick tyres, and lingering damp patches, as well as brief swirls of rain made it a battle not only for split seconds, but also for survival.

In the later stages, Martin found himself battling with John McPhee, riding a Peugeot: sister machine to the Mahindra. Only at the closing stages did the Spaniard lose pace with a gear-shifting issue, and McPhee was able to escape to seventh place.

Next weekend, Mahindra will rejoin the Moto3 battle at Austin in Texas, before the opening of the European season in another fortnight.

JORGE MARTIN - Eighth Place I am quite satisfied and was expecting a good race: the rain helped us a bit. I could make a very good start and was in fifth and able to fight in the group. Then I had a problem with the gearshift, and couldn’t keep the rhythm of the group. But eighth is okay.

MUFADDAL CHOONIA – CEO, Mahindra Racing The race result was far more satisfying than the rest of the weekend. Argentina has traditionally been a difficult track for Mahindra. Conditions did help us, but at the same time they were very tricky, so it could have gone either way. We're happy also to see our brand, Peugeot Motocycles, well up in the points. Both Martin on our Mahindra and Peugeot's John McPhee rode brilliantly, from way back on the grid, taking some risks in the early stages and reaping the rewards at the end, with eighth and seventh places."

About Mahindra Racing

In 2016, Mahindra Racing is competing as a constructor in its fifth year in the Moto3TM class of MotoGPTM and remains the only Indian constructor in the series, having first participated in 2011. Mahindra Racing supplies the Mahindra MGP3O single-cylinder, 4-stroke, 250cc motorcycle to the factory Aspar Mahindra Team and three customer teams. Mahindra also supplies an official Peugeot Motocycles derivative of the MGP3O to the factory Peugeot MC Saxoprint Team.

Mahindra Racing made history in the 2013 Malaysian Grand Prix taking the first-ever podium for an Indian constructor. The MGP3O recorded top-five finishes in 10 of the 17 rounds in 2013 as well as a pole position, three circuit lap records and third in the constructors' rankings. The 2014 season saw a further three podium finishes for the Indian motorcycle, including second place at the Sachsenring. In 2015, the Mahindra regularly fought at the front of the ultra-competitive Moto3TM class and recorded a podium finish at Le Mans.

2016 got off to a strong start for Mahindra Racing with Aspar Mahindra Team Moto3 rider Francesco (Pecco) Bagnaia securing a third place podium finish at the opening round in Qatar. The podiums continued in Jerez and Mugello before Pecco made history with victory in Assen, Mahindra's first in the World Championship. It was a historic day for everyone involved and proved the high level performance capabilities of the MGP3O. As well as its commitment in the World Championship, Mahindra continues to supply MGP3O machines to Team Aspar to compete in World Championship feeder series, the FIM CEV Repsol Moto3 Junior World Championship in 2016.

Mahindra's bold decision to take on the world's best at the highest level of motorcycle racing has won the team a number of prestigious awards in India, including: the NDTV Car and Bike Awards - 'Mobil 1 Motorsport Award of the Year', 2012 and 2013; the Bike India Magazine - 'Motorsport Award', 2013; and 'ZigWheels Motorsport Award of the Year', 2012. Mahindra also won ‘Racing Bike of the Year' at the Zeeignition Auto Awards, 2016.

In 2015, Mahindra & Mahindra was recognized as the Best Company for CSR in India in a study by the Economic Times. In 2014, Mahindra featured on the Forbes Global 2000, a comprehensive listing of the world's largest, most powerful public companies, as measured by revenue, profit, assets and market value. The Mahindra Group also received the Financial Times 'Boldness in Business' Award in the 'Emerging Markets' category in 2013.